During the month of March, students in grade levels four through ten have been partaking in the writing portion of the new Florida Standardized Assessments (FSA) test. This new test, along with the upcoming required End of Course (EOC) exams for every class, has overwhelmingly taken over the purpose of learning in the classroom atmosphere.

These newly incorporated tests such as EOCs have been taking away the true meaning of the designed curriculum for each class. With limited time to learn material that will be on tests, teachers have no choice but to rush with their lessons. This takes away students’ opportunities to learn information slowly and surely, as some need. The teachers’ new curriculum is solely based on what will be on the test, rather than the whole subject.

“I believe implementing EOCs for every class will just add unnecessary tension, since we should be focusing more on IB and AP tests. It will also take away study time from these tests,” junior Barbara Jimenez said.

The elimination of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) served no purpose as the FSA is turning out to be its exact replica. So far, the only difference is the incorporation of technology and the name. These tests are meant to be methods of evaluating of a student’s learning performance, but is that not what EOCs are supposed to do? There is no reason for the current mass of tests that all serve the same purpose.

“The amount of testing is overwhelming. It makes it hard for us to balance both our grades and focusing on testing as well. Especially when they change testing regulations every year,” sophomore Maria Solorzano said.

Although these tests are criticized by many, their purpose is to reflect whether a student is learning or not. It would point out the student’s strengths and weaknesses, and student’s scores would reflect their learning development.

The load of tests seems drastic for students taking multiple APs. Elective classes now have to take time out of their “creative” areas in order to prepare for EOCs. These classes are supposed to make breathing room for high-achieving students.

All in all, the newly introduced load of tests is nothing other than a burden. They completely disrupt the learning process of students, and most importantly, they take away from the purpose of teaching.